Critical Voices in Mental Health

JuliusCaesar

The Irish Network of Critical Voices in Mental Health
http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=group_134596593263062

A network for people from diverse backgrounds (people with self experience, carers, professionals, academics and interested others) who want an Irish mental health system which is not based on the traditional bio-medical model. This network provides an opportunity to share, discuss and debate critical perspectives on and beyond recovery.

You can subscribe to the mailing list for the Irish Network of Critical Voices in Mental Health by sending an email to:

criticalvoices-subscribe@working4recovery.com

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Once subscribed, each member can contribute by sending an email to criticalvoices@working4recovery.com and all subscribers will receive this email.

Provides useful information on not-for-profit talks, lectures, workshops, conferences

lighthouse

This is a sister organisation to the CVN:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/256546797755443/
They have a closed Facebook group.
They like the CVN are completely against the medical model(i.e. drugs) as a way to deal with mental illnesses.

Interesting article in last Saturday's Irish Times in which two people tell of their experiences on psychiatric drugs in a not very positive light:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/0414/1224314721651.html

dissed doc

Most psychiatric drugs (95%+) including antidepressants are prescribed by doctors who are not trained medical specialists (i.e., a psychiatrist).

What needs to happen is correct structure and referral pathways, and prevention of inappropriate treatments for incorrect diagnoses. Countries that went down the path of "alternative" mental health are usually ones trying to save money by avoiding mental health altogether like Hungary and France (i.e., the third world of western psychiatric services).

hotspur

dissed doc wrote: »

. Countries that went down the path of "alternative" mental health are usually ones trying to save money by avoiding mental health altogether like Hungary and France (i.e., the third world of western psychiatric services).

That sounds interesting, any good references which would well articulate this perspective or provide analysis of such countries' choices?

grannypants

Excellent piece in the Times we need to see more of this honest reporting about the dangers of these psychiatric drugs !

grannypants

I will find you on face book did you there a lecture on in Trinity next month which i `m hoping to attend
The Eclipse of Medical and Psychiatric Care:

a public lecture by Prof David Healy, Hosted by the TCD School of Nursing & Midwifery in association with the Irish Institute of Mental Health Nursing.

Date:Wednesday 2nd May 2012.

Time: 5.00pm. Venue: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, 24 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2.


There is no charge to attend this lecture however it is necessary to book in advance as places are limited

Please contact Jeni Ryan (ryanjen@tcd.ie / 01 8963860) to book a place

chocoholica

We really need to see more discussion on the alternatives. I have self experience and now work in the area myself. I see how excluded people have become and how chronically disabled by the system. Medication is completely over-used and abused by Irish psychiatry.
We need to look at other models in place where the person is at the centre of the process and they are supported to recover.
Thanks for posting!

excellence

The Irish Times ran another very interesting article last Monday highlighting the links between pharmaceutical companies and psychiatrists. These issues need to be debated in my opinion.
The article can be seen here:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0416/1224314763175.html

Torakx

Great to see!
I would even say there is a large number of the population with mental health issues so bad they do not even reach these radars.
I was one of them.After 10 years i am starting to function enough that i am just about capable of applying for my medical card.
Dont worry i wont be using it to see a medical professional lol
Or at least not for advice or medication!
I can imagine there are thousands like myself in the same position and feeling even more helpless than i was.

I spent a few of those 10 years taking prozac prescribed by three different GP's.
The issue laughably was fungal not mental.

Its great to see some kind of movement to address some of these issues.

excellence

Is psychiarty in Ireland beginning to cop itself on, in that the solution for many people may not be contained in a pill. A letter in last week's Irish Times (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2012/0419/1224314924044.html) got a reaction from the College of Psychiatry who not only printed a reply on their website but also responded in the Irish Times as well (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2012/0421/1224315009676.html).


Mental illness and medication

Sir, – Well done to Carl O’Brien and The Irish Times for the articles “Bitter pills to swallow” and “When conflicts of interest arise in medicine” (Weekend Review April 14th and Home News, April 16th).

In my opinion the majority, if not all, psychiatric illnesses have their roots in emotional problems. In my own case I was diagnosed as suffering from manic depression after two spells in psychiatric hospital at the age of 20. No effort was made to look at any other difficulties I was experiencing at the time – and there were many.

In the psychiatrist’s viewpoint, I suffered from depression, there was a chemical imbalance in my mind and I needed medication to correct this chemical imbalance. In my late 20s, after moving to a new area of the country when my depression got out of control and the medication wasn’t helping, I made contact with a psychiatrist who felt, as I did, that there was a reason for my depression; and I commenced psychotherapy.

It’s nearly 19 years since I came off the lithium which I was told at the age of 20 I would be on for the rest of my life. In my view the medical model of treating mental illnesses is a fallacy. It may alleviate some of the symptoms. In some people like me it doesn’t and can even make certain conditions worse. It deadens the person and numbs their feelings. It’s only in the process of psychotherapy I regained a sense of myself and was able to deal with the issues that were behind my depression. Thank you again for printing these articles. – Yours, etc,

THOMAS RODDY,
Lower Salthill, Galway.


Treatment of mental illness

Sir, – Thomas Roddy (April 19th) identifies two areas that need to be highlighted when it comes to recovery from mental illness.

Mr Roddy identifies the importance of choice within our mental health services. Having the choice of psychotherapy was important for him.

Today less than a quarter of adult mental health teams have access to psychologists or psychotherapists. The College of Psychiatry of Ireland has called many times for the full implementation of A Vision for Change (the national policy for how a mental health service should be organised) with fully staffed multidisciplinary community mental health teams which include mental health professionals with expertise in psychotherapy.

Along with choice, our society, our government and our services need to develop tolerance and acceptance around mental illness. Most people who have had experience of mental illness live fulfilling and satisfying lives. Some do so without medication. For others, medication plays a key role in ensuring they reach this level of recovery. This is the case even when psychotherapy is available.

We need to ensure our services are funded to ensure all individuals can receive the most appropriate treatment with a multidisciplinary approach and we need to ensure a tolerance and understanding that for some people the most appropriate treatment is medication. – Yours, etc,

Dr ANNE JEFFERS,
Director, External Affairs Policy,
College of Psychiatry of Ireland,
Herbert Street,
Dublin 2.


What do people think of this?

Torakx

Was there a hint in there of a reaching out to the psychology/psychotherapy community to coordinate or was i imagining it?
Because a multi-disciplinary team obviously give more perspectives on any situation than any single part alone.
Common sense.
But i am in no way educated on these matter and i am presuming this already exists.

Its a tough call about the medications.
I have a tainted perspective because of my bad experience,however i acknowledge that detoxing and living on a very healthy diet and lifestyle may not be enough for those with a malfunction already in the structure of the brain.
As for personality and psyche issues, i think once the physical health of the patient is 100% crossed out as a factor, other routes to recovery should be sought out,with medicatio being a last resort.
Of course nothing is black and white and some issues may be more obvious than others.

For what its worth.

lighthouse

Anne Jeffers who wrote one of the letters above will be on TV3 tomorrow morning (Wednesday 25th) at 11am with Electroshock survivor Colette Ni Dhuinneacha(MindFreedom Ireland). Should be an interesting debate

JuliusCaesar

excellence wrote: »

Is psychiarty in Ireland beginning to cop itself on, in that the solution for many people may not be contained in a pill.

Today less than a quarter of adult mental health teams have access to psychologists or psychotherapists. The College of Psychiatry of Ireland has called many times for the full implementation of A Vision for Change (the national policy for how a mental health service should be organised) with fully staffed multidisciplinary community mental health teams which include mental health professionals with expertise in psychotherapy.

What do people think of this?

Of course it is disgraceful that there isn't access in every single area to MDT* members who are trained in psychotherapy/counselling AND who also have time to implement that training.

But most psychiatrists are aware, and in favour of psychosocial treatments; many are trained in psychotherapeutic approaches; but don't have the time to implement them. Ditto for other MDT members.


*Multi Disciplinary Team

Odysseus

excellence wrote: »

What do people think of this?

I think we could do with a system around psychotherapy like the UK, where you even have consulant psychotherpists. From what I see psychotherapy is held in a better light over there. That does not mean that they are problem free, but we need more psychotherapists on MDT, not just a team member being trained in it; we need decicated psychotherapists.

Valmont

I find Dr. Anne Jeffers suggestion that they just need more money ("funding and support") to get things right very unprofessional. Assuming she has been watching the news, she should know no extra funds will be forthcoming for a long time. The budget has hit a ceiling and it's time to find other solutions to these problems -- to think otherwise is delusional.

neemish

Odysseus wrote: »

I think we could do with a system around psychotherapy like the UK, where you even have consulant psychotherpists. From what I see psychotherapy is held in a better light over there. That does not mean that they are problem free, but we need more psychotherapists on MDT, not just a team member being trained in it; we need decicated psychotherapists.

Was in a private psychiatric hospital earlier in the earlier. i was given hours out to see my psychotherapist. The Clinical Nurse Manager actually asked me what was the difference between counselling and psychotherapy. She also asked what sort of things my therapist and I "chatted" about. I was in no fit state to start educating her on something she should know in the first place

Psychiatry has a long way to go

firesidechat

https://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/groups/Irishnetworkofcriticalvoicesinmentalhealth/

Very good discussion on the conflict of interest with big pharma sponsering support groups.

excellence

The Critical Voices Network will be discussed on Martin King's programme tomorrow morning at 11am on TV3.